


A new Way

by Dame_Iris



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 07:47:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30136308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dame_Iris/pseuds/Dame_Iris
Summary: Din must overcome losing Grogu before facing a new challenge.
Relationships: Din Djarin & Cara Dune, Din Djarin/Cara Dune
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	A new Way

**Author's Note:**

> Din must overcome his pain before facing a new challenge. 
> 
> English is not my first langage.
> 
> I like reviews.  
> Enjoy the reading.  
> Dame Iris

**CHAPTER I : TIME TO CHOOSE**

*******

******

*****

Grogu had left with one of his own kind, with the one who now will protect and guide him.  
Din had accomplished his mission. Against all odds, he had reunited the Child with the Jedi and yet this unlikely success caused deep sadness in him. Deep regrets too. Meeting Grogu had turned his life upside down. Since the end of his childhood, it had been only violence, loneliness and an unlimited devotion to his people rigid moral code. The Child, had changed him and he was just starting only to figure out.  
Standing in front of the door now closed on the Jedi and his new apprentice, he was motionless, his arms hanging down, his throat constricted and his eyes wet with tears. A strange ringing in his ears prevented him from hearing the voices behind him as the others, one by one, broke the silence.

Bo-Katan could no longer overcome her impatience.  
"It's about time to get back to our business."  
As usual, her tone was commanding, and this time there was also a hint of annoyance and jealousy, increased by the sight of the Dark Saber on the center console. She had searched it for so long, and yet an improbable twist of fate had once again prevent her to get it back. After so many sacrifices, this had a bitter taste. She was hurt for sure, but certainly not resigned.  
Koska Reeves, as her loyalsecond, stood at her side, arms crossed over her chest, waiting for Din's answer. Fennec Shand watched carefully each protagonist. There was now a huge contrast between the solidarity that had prevailed until then and the hostily. It made her very curious about what would happen next.

Cara was really upset.  
" Leave him alone! For God's sake, this is not the right time !"  
She walked towards her friend but stopped when she was just behind his beskar-covered shoulder. She could only see her friend's brown hair and neck. If she went further, she would face him and put an end to the rule she had learned to respect. She was unsure. Din had taken off his helmet for Grogu, to say goodbye to this little one he loved like his son. He had not done it for her. Most of the time, Cara knew to keep control of her ameotions, but right now her attachment to Din was too strong to not be overwhelmed by compassion.  
His face was the one of a man hurt and sad, but most of all exhausted. As she hugged him tenderly, she could hardly remember the last time she had taken someone in her arms like that. _In some another life_ , she thought.  
It was quite a relief when she felt Din's arms wrap around her. Finally he let himself release all his burden.  
As she hugged her friend, she looked out over the black cloak folds to see Bo-Katan and Koska Reeves. The two Mandalorian women, whose faces showed clearly annoyance, were busy. While one checked mercyless the Moff's state of consciousness, the other checked the screens to evaluate how much the ship had been damaged.  
Fennec was now in contact with the Slave One pilot.  
" Fett will be here in a few minutes. Let him access to the hangars."  
" Done. Electrical and electronic problems are not so bad," Bo-Katan explained, before asking her friend. "So what do we do with her?"  
"It's tempting to keep her, but we can't. We don'thave enough people to get a crew andmanage her."  
The redhead was clearly annoyed, she knew the forces she had rallied to her were small. It was a huge frustration to give up such an asset for the coming war and she let it one of her gauntlets she easily shattered a glass of a screen in front of her.

Cara then stepped back slightly from Din and said.

" Let me be clear about this. You're giving up the ship, fine, but I won't take the risk of others getting her back. This ship will not end up in the hands of some scum or the Empire."  
Fennec was supporting.  
" I agree, we have to destroy her."  
They heard a beep and an approaching ship appeared on a screen. As expected, it was Boba Fett's.  
Din was still hugging her but Cara didn't care. She would wait as long as he needed her support to get back enough control of his emotions and faced the others. She turned to Koska Reeves, standing next to the imperial officer still lying on the ground.  
" How's he doing?"  
" Still inconscious. Are you really turn him over to the New Republic authorities? We might as well end this right now."  
" No, he and his buddy are going back to Nevarro."  
Metalic noises came from the hallway leading to the bridge. They saw on cameras the old bounty hunter struggling to make his way through the destroyed droids, pushing them back with his boots and cursing repeatedly. When he reached the door, Bo-Katan opened .  
" It's a impressive lot of metal junk and it's not easy to get through. I doubt any of you had anything to do with this. In all my life I've only seen one weapon that could cut that way. I assume the Jedi came for the boy?"  
The two Mandalorians and his partner nodded in agreement. So he took a look at the beskar helmet on the ground and then at Din, whose face was hidden in the long black hair of Cara.  
_Strange guy. In the end, more difficult to understand than I thought._

**_._ **

Din finally release his embrace on Cara and just by looking at each other, they talk.  
_Are you sure you're ready._  
_Yes, don't worry._  
Then the Mandalorian bent down to pick up his helmet, put it back on, and turned back to Bo-Katan.  
" My offer still stand, the lightsaber is yours," he said with a confidence that contrasted deeply with his vulnerability a few moments before."  
" And I still can't accept it."  
" I won't fight you, Bo-Katan, so what do you want from me?"  
" I don't know...an idea to get us out of this pathetic situation, for example."  
Din sighed and looked away from her to stare the Dark Saber beside him. He took a long time to think about all the situation, then he spoke.  
" This weapon is mine now, and although I do not want to carry the burden which goes with it, I will accept it. As soon as I will know precisely your plan and your intentions, I will used it. Not to take power, but to give you a support to take back Mandalore, as cursed as this planet may be. Be aware that fighting together to give back our people their home, will not mean giving away our differences. Neither I or those of my clan, whose I intend to find, will neither give up the Creed, nor submit to any new legal authority."  
Everyone in the room was silent after hearing this unexpected commitment. Bo-Katan remained speechless for a long time before she praised the nobility of Din's offer. However, she asked.  
" You say you want to support me, but now the Dark saber is yours, you're the leader."  
" I am not interested in power. So will you accept this agreement?"  
She took her time before answering.  
" I don't know. I have no idea what it will lead us and it's definitly not what I expected."  
" It's a compromise, it can't fully satisfied anyone."  
The redhead glanced in the direction of her friend. Seeing Koska's resignation, she offered Din her hand.  
" Well, let's give a chance to this compromise."

Immediately after Din shook her hand, Boba Fett said.  
" Since your little matter is settled, can we move on now? Fennec and I have other plans than to wait here."  
" Mando, we kept our word" the sniper added.  
" That's right, and I'll always be grateful."  
Giving a sign to Fennec, the pilot of the Slave One announced their departure and offered a ride to those who needed it. Only if they made up their minds right then and there.  
Cara took the opportunity and indicated the Moff to the old bounty hunter.  
" I'm going back to Nevarro with this one and his buddy. If that's okay with you..."  
" No problem."

" The shuttle is out of service. We need to get a new one from the hangars," Koska Reeves suggested to Bo-Katan who nodded before looking at Din.  
" We'll go back to the place you find us. We have to wait for some supports coming tomorrow. This will be a chance for you to meet them."

" Before that, he has a bounty to collect" said Cara." Your little revolution will have to wait a few more days."  
The mandalorian woman gave an outraged look at her. Din stared successively the two, reluctant to choose.  
" Din, come with me. You'll get the bounty and you can rest at my place. You need it."  
_Even more if you have to put up with these two_ , she thought.  
Din finally chose his friend's offer.  
" I'm going back with her, but I promess I'll be join you in three days."  
It was definitly one of the most annoying day Bo-Katan ever spend.  
" Very well, since that's what you want" she answered. "Koska, let's go down to the hangars, we have to find a shuttle."  
" We'll set the charges to destroy the ship" said Fennec. "As soon as you find a ship, let us know and we'll meet you down there."  
Then the two Mandalorians left the room.

Bo-Katan and her friend found easily a functional shuttle. Mechanical equipment near the ship indicated that its overhaul had just been completed when their attack began. Once having completed their task, the four team members and their prisoners, leading by Din and Cara, joined them.  
The unlikely team formed to rescue the Child came to is end. The two Mandalorians took off in the shuttle. Cara and Fennec activated the self-destruction of the ship, and a few minutes later, the Slave One took off.

The small ship moved quickly away from the huge imperial cruiser. Shortly after, the large ship burst into flames and broke apart offering a spectacular view. The intense light that spreaded across the void blinded them for a few moments and they felt small vibrations caused by the shock wave. Then the Slave One entered hyperspace.

**...**

The ship landed on Nevarro a few hours later. Amidst the dust caused by the engines, Din and Cara greeted the unlikely duo. Once again the Mandalorian expressed his gratitude for their help. As the ship disappeared into the sunset, Cara said to him.  
" Come on, it's time to take care of our friends."  
" Where do you plan to put them?"  
" In prison, there some cells next to my office. I'll notify the authorities right after. Don't worry you'll get your bounty quickly. For now, I'm contacting Greef so he could get us a transport."  
once their captives were onboard of the speeder sent by their friend, they headed for Cara's office. As they entered the building, each leading a gagged and tied imperial, they came face to face with Greef Karga. The old man was closely followed by his Mytrol secretary.  
" Mando! Cara! You are back! And...wait it is not possible..."  
" It is indeed our old friend, the one and only" replied Cara with a satisfied smile.  
" And the little one, where is he?" asked their friend, noticing the absence of Din's foundling.  
The mandalorian cleared his throat before being ready to answer, but once again Cara spoke first.  
" It's a long story, we'll have plenty of time to talk about it tomorrow. But don't worry, he's in good hands. For tonight, we'll just put our two friends in their cells."  
The old man understood that he should not insist.  
" Of course, it's true that it's already late. Have a nice evening, see you tomorrow."  
He gave Din a friendly pat on the shoulder as he passed by.  
" Good to see you again, Mando."

As soon as she had activated the lock on both cells, Cara turned to Din.  
" Well, now that it's done, let me send a message and we'll go."

**.**

Soon after, they were walking through the city streets. It was getting dark and the poor lighting barely allowed them to make out the faces they passed. Although security had improved dramatically since Cara had taken on the role of marshal, the nightly incidents had not completely ended. Muggings, robberies and worse occured time to time.

When they left an alley, they reached a small square and Cara indicated a small house with a faded façade.

"It's here. It is not fancy, but the New Republic pays the rent."

" I'm starting to understand why you take the job."

They approached and Cara opened the main door. They entered a dimly lit corridor leading to an inner courtyard.

" This one" Cara said as she unlocked one of the doors.

The sparse furnishings in the living room made it seem larger than it actually was. In a corner near a large window bay opening to the courtyard was a large old sofa. Against one wall was a shelf and two huge metal crates, from which protruded various objects, such as a cartridge belt and a camouflage jacket covered in dust. In front of the pass-through that separated the room from a small kitchen, there was a table and some chairs. A screen newer than the rest of the furniture hung on the wall in front of the sofa. As Din observed this interior, Cara unhooked his jetpack. She put down her own weapons, removed her gloves and gauntlets and stowed everything in one of the crates.

" Let's go outside, you won't be disappointed."

As he arrived in the inner courtyard, the view did not indeed disappoint him. The courtyard was surrounded by four stone walls and had a shallow pool in its center. Din approached it. On the surface, the glow of the full moon was reflected. Around it, silver reflections betrayed the presence of narrow channels serving vast massifs with luxuriant vegetation. Beside, some palms of old age were considerable high. Some much water surprised Din. As far back as he could remember, he had never seen a garden on Nevarro where water was so abondant and used to successfully maintain a flora that otherwise could never have survived the desert climate.

He heard a creak behind him and turned around. Cara was moving one of the armchairs on the terrace and then disappeared inside. He decided to get back to her. When he entered in the living room, he saw his friend placing cutlery and a steaming pot on the table.

" I only have canned food here. So don't expect too much. If it's okay with you, I'll go out on the terrace so you can be quiet. When you're done, come join me."

She had chosen this way because if Din had revealed his face that morning, she had no reason to believe that he would want to remove his helmet in front of her again. For her friend, this solution was a huge relief. Cara knew him so well and once again acted for the best. On the end of one of the most difficult day in his life, he was very grateful.

"That's very nice. Thank you very much, Cara."

Indicating the meal served, she replied with a small smile.

" Wait until you've eaten to thank me, you might change your mind."

Without waiting for an answer, she left on the terrace carrying in her hands her dinner.

**.**

Din joined her as soon as his meal was finished and found her sitting in an old armchair. Her closed eyes let him think that she had dozed off, so she surprised him, when she pointed, without taking the trouble to open her eyes, to an armchair near his.

" So, still want to thank me? "she asked as soon as he sat down.

Under his helmet, he can't help but smile.

"Still. Thanks for everything, Cara."

" You're welcome " she mumbled opening finally her eyes.

For a while they remained silence, staring up at the night sky. Din gazed at the stars not really for their beauty but for the thoughts its evoked. Somewhere on one of the planets hidden in the shadow of one these stars, Grogu was spending his first night without him. As the pain of their separation tightened his throat, he reached into a small pocket in the thick leather protection covering his chest and pulled out the small silver ball that Grogu liked so much. With delicacy, he made it roll between his gloved fingers. Memories started to invade him. First he remembered his meeting with the small child when his huge and innocent eyes had emerged from the fluffy blancket and how much he was surprised when he discovered this little one. Later, he remembered the moment when Grogu had protected him to exhaustion and had saved his life.

Suddenly, a familiar voice pulled him out of his reverie.

" You are thinking of the Child."

" His name is Grogu."

" Grogu! What a idea! That being said, for a little green guy like him, why not. But how did you knew ?"

" From the Jedi, the one we met before we went to Tython. She was able to communicate with him through theirs thoughts."

It made Cara curious. She wanted to know everything Grogu had told. Din told the story of Grogu's early life. From his apprenticeship with Jedi masters in the temple, to his rescue by an unknown benefactor during the destruction of the Jedi Sanctuary, to his long years of survival in loneliness and fear. By the time he had finished his story, he was exhausted. Thinking of his son's misfortunes was so painful that it had taken away all his strength.

" Poor kid! Not surprising he never wanted to let you go."

His gloved hand tightened around the metal ball.

" Yet today he chose to..."

Cara stopped him before melancholy overwhelmed him.

" Enough for tonight! We would better go to bed."

She continued, ignoring her friend's silence.

" Take my bedroom, at least you can sleep properly."

" Cara, this is your home. I can't..."

" Stop it!" she interrupted. "Tell me, how long has it been since you slept in a real bed ? I bet you don't even remember."

She was right, but again Din said no to her offer for the second time. As he followed her inside the house, Cara didn't listened to him. Instead, she opened the bedroom door and held it wide open, wishing him a good night. Din knew the kind of determination she was capable of. He was now too exhausted to argue again with her.

**...**


End file.
